A series of amendments expected tomorrow from Republican members of the House would take a large chunk out of uncompensated care payments to hospitals. If approved, they would reduce by 29 percent the $164 million the House budget would otherwise devote to uncompensated care.

NHFPI has compiled a summary of the amendments to be considered tomorrow. Out of 17 proposed amendments, four would divert significant sums away from uncompensated care to offset changes elsewhere in the budget. Those amendments would:

reduce, at a cost of $20 million over the biennium, the proposed cigarette tax rate from $1.98 per pack to $1.88 per pack;

eliminate provisions temporarily suspending three business tax cuts enacted under the previous legislature, a loss of approximately $13 million over the course of FY14-15;

appropriate $7.2 million for school building aid in FY15, and;

increase the cap on county nursing home payments by $6.95 million total over the biennium.

If each of these amendments were adopted, the affect would be to reduce the amount of uncompensated care payments by a total of $47 million over the biennium. For more about the House Finance Committee’s budget proposal as it stands without these amendments, click here.

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Common Cents Blog

Investments in the operation, maintenance, and construction of transportation infrastructure in New Hampshire often draw from many different sources and funds. Decisions about financing mixes, timelines, projected interest costs, and the effects of deteriorating or enhanced transportation infrastructure at any level of government can all influence projects.